The value of a civic museum is shaped by the relationship it builds with the people around it.
Collections provide a reason to visit, while the experience of the building itself helps determine how visitors feel and what they discover. For museums occupying historic buildings, understanding that relationship is central to meaningful adaptation.
At Wrexham Museum, the transformation of a Grade II-listed Victorian building offered an opportunity to reconsider how architecture can support a museum’s civic purpose. Bringing together the Museum of Wrexham and the Football Museum of Wales, the project connects local history with a sporting identity that resonates internationally. This ‘museum of two halves’ needed spaces that could accommodate distinct stories while giving visitors a coherent experience.
Our approach began with how people would use the building: how they would enter, move between collections, find facilities and come together. These considerations shaped the way we approached change within the historic fabric.
Before the refurbishment, the museum’s spaces felt fragmented; galleries operated largely in isolation, and navigation could be challenging. This affected how visitors encountered the collections and understood the relationship between different parts of the museum.
Creating a clearer, more accessible route through the building was key to opening up the museum. A new central circulation core connects galleries and visitor facilities, encouraging exploration and making movement more intuitive. A two-storey atrium and an extension at second-floor level create additional space and help establish stronger connections across the museum.
The reworked, legible building gives people greater confidence to explore, follow their interests and engage with unfamiliar subjects.
New spaces at the Wrexham Museum
This same thinking informed our approach to accessibility. In a historic building, inclusive design requires careful consideration of the whole visitor journey. Physical access, facilities, colour, contrast and wayfinding all influence whether someone can enjoy a visit comfortably and independently.
Working with accessibility consultants and a broad range of stakeholders helped us understand these needs together. New accessible routes improve movement through the museum, while a dedicated Changing Places facility provides essential support for disabled visitors and their families.
Achieving this within a listed Victorian building required a clear understanding of its significance. A Heritage Impact Assessment guided decisions about repair, conservation and adaptation, helping establish where change could be accommodated and where historic fabric should be retained and revealed.
Accessible facilities at Wrexham Museum
Original stonework concealed by later interventions was uncovered, allowing the building’s character to become more apparent. Contemporary interventions, such as the new rooflight, were designed in relation to the Victorian architecture. The historic turrets on the front elevation were reinstated and incorporated into the museum’s ventilation strategy, combining heritage restoration with modern performance requirements. Importantly, the new rooflight frames views of these restored features, allowing visitors to appreciate the historic architecture from within the new intervention and creating a tangible connection between the building’s past and present.
Alongside these visible changes, the heating and electrical services were renewed, including the removal of gas heating. Improvements to fire safety and security support the building’s continued use. These less visible interventions are fundamental to sustaining a historic museum: they allow its public role to develop while caring for the fabric that gives it identity.
The project also creates room for a broader range of activities. Dedicated education and community spaces can accommodate school visits, workshops, arts and crafts, and local events. This flexibility gives people different reasons to use the museum and opportunities to build an ongoing relationship with it.
Investment in a historic museum should therefore be considered through both the building’s conservation and the public life it enables. At Wrexham, clearer connections, inclusive facilities and adaptable spaces support an expanded cultural role rooted in the city’s identity.
– Zhor Boukerrou, Senior Architect, Purcell
